Heart's Song, Play
by Explosive Watermelon
Summary: Guardians have moved on to middle school, joining Kukai and the quiet girl he seems to have taken interest in. Also with her comes new enemies, new challenges and more than their fair share of witty remarks! This can only take a turn for the weird.
1. New Girl

**Oh how long it has been since I have uploaded anything. I have some pre-made chapters for this one, so I will try to update every Wednesday until I run out of buffer and then I will become irritating and late again. Well... enjoy consistency while you can!**

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><p>"Amu! Wake up! You'll be late for your first day of Middle School!" Ran's high-pitched voice rang, startling Amu out of a deep sleep.<p>

"Waah! Oh crap!" Amu yelled, jumping out of bed and rushing to get dressed. Soon enough she was dashing out the door, still later that she would have liked.

"Let's hope this doesn't leave a bad impression on your homeroom teacher," Miki commented, the whole situation a bit too frantic for her liking.

"Shut up!" Amu countered, entering the school gates, "I'm not _that_ late!"

She saw Rima waiting out in front of the school, "Amu," she greeted, "You're here early."

"Early!"

"Yeah, we still have twenty minutes till class starts."

"How is that possible?" Amu asked tiredly.

"Oh! I meant to tell you, the power went out last night so the clocks are all wrong!" Su stated.

Amu put her face in her hands, "And you couldn't have told me this sooner?"

"Sorry!"

"Amu! Rima! Good morning!" The two girls turned to see Nagihiko walking toward them, waving.

"Good morning! The boy's uniform looks pretty good on you, Nagi!" Amu commented innocently.

With a smirk, Rima added, "Hm, are you sure that's the right uniform, Nade –,"

Nagihiko shot Rima a panicked look, "Rima…"

"– Nagihiko?"

Luckily, Amu didn't catch that.

It didn't take long for Tadase and Kukai to arrive also. Amu thought the new environment was a bit strange, but she was in Rima's class so she figured things could be worse.

"So, Kukai," Tadase asked as they all waited on class to start, "What's this school like?"

"Well, it's pretty much the same as Elementary, except…," Kukai trailed off, looking like he was thinking of something unpleasant.

"Except what?" They asked.

"The relationships here are way more dramatic! I mean, it used to be it was totally innocent but now – look! Like right there!" Kukai stated, pointing at a couple currently engaged in a poorly hidden kiss.

"Shouldn't they get in trouble for doing that on school grounds!" Amu asked, blushing and turning away.

Kukai sighed, "You would think so, but the teachers don't care as long as they don't do it in the classroom."

"You'd think that feel at least a little embarrassed," Rima commented.

"Some people have no shame," Nagi agreed.

"Well, here, you can go from being a nobody to being a somebody depending on who you date," Kukai explained, "Like if a new girl comes to school and gets a popular guy to go out with her, then her status and name recognition immediately goes up."

Tadase frowned, "That seems kind of cruel, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but that obviously isn't stopping anybody. Oh, and Amu and Rima," Kukai added, addressing the two girls, "If I were you I wouldn't go walking around campus alone. There's always that group of third year guys preying on the new girls."

Tadase and Nagihiko both looked horribly uncomfortable as they imagined how that scene would play out.

Kukai took notice of this and added, observing the couples, "But I don't think you'll have to worry about that."

A different conversation started up, about curriculum, something Kukai didn't really care about, so he started scanning the crowds for something more interesting. His eyes fell on a particular third year, Hiroshi.

"Hey, guys just a heads up," Kukai said, regaining their attention, "Avoid him."

"Who's he?" Rima asked.

"His name's Hiroshi. He's a third year, a complete jerk and a total womanizer." Kukai's sentences were clipped and irritated, and his friends got the idea that Kukai had a certain grudge against this bold character.

Amu observed Hiroshi for a moment. He didn't appear dangerous, and he was actually pretty good-looking. He wasn't even doing anything, just leaning against the building and watching the gate, his friends goofing off and cutting up around him. He didn't seem like such a bad guy, maybe it was an outside character and he was actually a nice person.

Suddenly, Hiroshi's head popped up, and Amu followed his line of sight to a girl who was walking in the front gates.

"Oh, wow, she's lovely," Amu said quietly.

A girl with stunning figure and bright, clear eyes was making her way through the crowd, her long legs maneuvering gracefully around her clumsy classmates. Her hair seemed to be naturally brown, but it had an array of blonde streaks that appeared to be following the base of her hair line, so you could only see pieces of it. Her hair was curly like Rima's and fell to just below her shoulder blades.

"Who's that?" Nagihiko asked Kukai, after seeing who Amu was looking at.

Kukai looked at the girl and a soft smile came on his face, "That's Kaya. She's in my grade. She's beautiful, sure, but she doesn't talk much."

"Beautiful?" Amu asked, a mocking tone dripping into her voice, "Why, Kukai, I believe this is the first time we've heard you call a girl _beautiful_, isn't it?"

Rima let out a fake gasp, "It seems you are correct! What _could_ this mean?"

A slight blush appeared on Kukai's face, "What? Don't get wrong idea –,"

Tadase, all good intent, interrupted him, "Is it true, Kukai? Is this girl… special?"

"No! It's not –,"

"It was bound to happen sometime, Kukai," Nagi consoled, "We'll be happy to help in anyway."

Kukai sighed, "Guys really it's not…"

Movement in the corner of his eye caught Kukai's attention. He looked up to see that Hiroshi had moved to intercept Kaya, who was making a B line for the school building.

She frowned at him, "Can I help you?"

They group was standing right next to the main entrance, where the confrontation between Kaya and Hiroshi was taking place.

"Actually," He said with a devilish smile, "You can."

She scoffed, moving to walk around him. He moved right back into her way.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you trying to walk through here?" His voice was dripping with crude sarcasm.

Kaya's hand tensed around the handle of her bag, "Actually, yes." Her words were cold and measured; enough to make any person with common sense back off.

But Hiroshi was either very brave or very stupid when he replied, "C'mon, Kaya, we all know you're just playing hard to get. Do everyone a favor and just go out with me."

In an unfeeling monotone, Kaya replied, "As if I owe anyone here a favor. Now please move, I can feel myself getting dumber as we speak." She moved around him more quickly this time, the bell ringing as she entered the door.

Hiroshi cursed under his breath, and Kukai suppressed a snicker.

"I love seeing her reject him!" He laughed once Hiroshi was out of earshot.

"This has happened before?" Amu asked.

Kukai nodded, "Over and over, and she comes up with something even more scathing to say to him every time, it's really refreshing! Most girls just melt at his feet, but not her. She doesn't even have a heart of ice, it's more like steel!"

Amu and Rima exchanged a glance. At first they were just teasing him, but could he actually have developed a crush on this girl?

Kukai saw how skeptical they looked and responded, "The real reason I keep bringing her up is actually that she has a Guardian Egg."

"What? Really?" Amu asked.

"Yeah, but I don't know if it's hatched or not. She hasn't commented on seeing Daichi, so I'm really not sure yet."

"We'll have to discuss this further after school," Tadase decided, leaderly as always, "See you later!"

They separated, dispersing into the crowd and finding their ways to their respective classrooms.

"So all the former Guardians have Guardian Characters, huh, Jun?" Kaya commented quietly, "Seems fitting."

"Kaya, you really need to make friends with them, maybe they could help you –," Jun, Kaya's Guardian Character, began to say.

"No!" Kaya hissed under her breath, "I don't need help!"

"But that boy Kukai –,"

"I told you not to mention him! Jun, you know why we can't get close to them! Especially that boy Kukai!" Kaya relaxed a bit, now that they were in an empty classroom.

"And why is that?"

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><p><strong>*le gasp!* Who could be eavesdropping on our fair Kaya? I think you could make a good guess. What do you think of my characters? Kaya, Jun, even that little turdlet Hiroshi... I want your opinions! I want your criticism! I write fanfics for fun and practice, so I don't really care if they aren't super good.<strong>

**So... make the review button feel needed. 3**


	2. Time to Face the Character Changes

Kaya whipped around to see Kukai Soma leaning against the closed door of the classroom, hands is his pockets and an unreadable expression. His Guardian Character tried to mimic this nonchalance, but wasn't doing a very good job; he was just too expressive.

Kaya glanced from him, to Jun, and then back to him. She let out a defeated sigh, "All right, you caught me. Yes I have a Guardian Character. Anything else you want to know?"

"A few things, yes," He responded, walking up to her desk and standing across from her, only the chair separating them, "When did she hatch?"

"Right after last school year ended."

"How long have you been able to see Guardian Characters?"

"Since her egg was born."

"What are you like when you Character Change?"

That question caught Kaya off guard. Before, it seemed like she had anticipated every question and already had a rebudle planned, but at this proposal she finally broke face.

"Let's show him, Kaya! Please!" Jun begged.

"No! We can't do that here of all places! And that's not something you need to know, Kukai." She told him, regaining the unfeeling expression she had before.

"So what if I don't _need_ to know. I _want_ to know, isn't that enough?" He replied, leaning forward slightly, breaking the invisible bubble she had established in her mind that she really preferred to remain unbroken.

"Nope, sorry! It's top-secret." She responded, leaning backwards to compensate.

Kukai frowned, and shifted his gaze to take in her Guardian Character Jun. She was petite, like a normal Guardian character and had dark purple hair with neon blue streaks pulled back into a high pony tail, so her round, expressive face could easily be seen. She also had fox ears and a tail, and wore a pair of boots that came above her knees. Other than that, she just wore a black t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts.

"Hey, Jun," Kukai said, "Can't you, like, force her to Character Change?"

Kaya's shoulders tensed.

"Hm, you're right Kukai," Jun relied mischievously, her tail swishing back and forth, "But I should wait till the opportune moment."

"Like when the whole class is here?"

"Exactly!"

"No! That won't be necessary!" Kaya interjected, her voice taking on a power Kukai hadn't heard before, "Meet me after school, and I know you'll bring your little Guardian buddies, so go ahead. I'll Character Change –,"

"Yes!" Kukai exclaimed.

Kaya ignored him, "– on one condition."

"What's that?" Kukai asked.

She pointed at him, "You guys have to show me your Character Changes, first, so I know who I'm dealing with exactly."

He smiled, "Oh, this is going to be a fun afternoon." _That_ was certainly reassuring for Kaya.

/?/

Kaya did everything she could to draw out the day, to protect her secret identity as long as she could, but this just happened to be the shortest Monday _ever. _Maybe this is the same force that turns the light green whenever you get a text message.

"Jun, I cannot believe your blackmailing me into this!" Kaya whined, packing up her things very slowly. Oh, was that even the right notebook? Of course she had to pause and take the time to check…

"It'll be good for you! It's about time somebody knows who you really are!" Jun stated, placing her miniscule hands on her hips, "Anyways, you should probably hurry up. You remember what Kukai said!"

"I know, I know! 'If you bail I'm going to have to carry you out of this classroom,' blah, blah, blah…" Kaya echoed, using a bad imitation of Kukai's voice.

"Of course," Jun giggled, "You'd probably like it if he carried you…"

Kaya's head snapped up, "I would not! That would be completely stupid! I would much rather walk, I have two perfectly functional legs!"

"Then why are you blushing?" Jun sang in a taunting voice, and then she switched up an octave and melodramatically recited, "'Oh, Kukai, how long I have waited for this day! No! Don't speak… Kiss me, you fool!'"

"JUN!"

Jun laughed a full, hearty laugh and flew out of the classroom, Kaya following her angrily, her long legs unleashing a strength you wouldn't have anticipated. Kaya chased her downstairs, through doorways; it felt like they covered the entire school. Kaya was so caught up in the chase she didn't realize Jun had lead her outside… and that all of the former Guardians were standing right there.

"Haha! Caught you!" Kaya yelled triumphantly, snatching Jun out of the air.

Jun just winked at her.

"Wha…?"

"Hi there!"

"Ack!"

/?/

The group introduced themselves, though even the socially removed Kaya had heard of the former Guardians, and Kaya returned the greetings, her voice going back to its usual quiet, reserved tone that didn't suggest much.

The Guardian Character introduction was what Kaya found most interesting; she took a particular liking to Miki and Rhythm, but of course she did what she could to hide it.

"Anyways, now that we've gotten to know each other a bit," Kaya looked around, "Follow me."

"What? Where are we going?"

"I can't let _anyone_ else see my Character Change. There's a clearing in the woods over there that we can use," Kaya said, pointing to a rather thick grove of trees that was half inside the school campus grounds.

"But our teacher told us that the woods were of limits," Tadase protested.

"I know," Kaya responded smoothly, "And if worse comes to worst, I'll show you why."

For the most part, the woods were completely average, but none of them could shake the feeling that something didn't want them there. The only one who was completely at ease was Kaya.

A twig snapped under Amu's foot, making her jump, "A-are we there yet?"

"Yes," Kaya said, pushing aside a drooping branch to reveal a mostly vine-covered green house, with windows stained with dirt to the point you could barely see inside.

Amu's mouth fell open, "Here! It looks like it's about to fall apart!"

"It might look that way, but you of all people, Amu Hinamori, should know that looks can be deceiving." Kaya didn't even glance back at Amu when she said these insightful words; instead, she just made her way to the door of the green house, opening it with very little effort.

"The vines, instead of pulling the building down, seem to almost act as reinforcement, since they grow on both the inside and the out," Kaya explained, leading them into the old building.

There were four stone benches arranged in a square, three in excellent shape, but one that had a huge, cracked hole in the center.

"Have a seat," Kaya offered, motioning them to pick a place first, almost as if this was her own home and they were to be treated as guests.

Amu and Tadase took a bench for themselves immediately, Rima sitting on the bench closest to the door, across from the broken one. Nagi filed in next to her, which leaves…

Kukai was already sitting on the last bench, motioning for Kaya to sit next to him. She sat down, shooting him a suspicious look, but letting it slide for the moment.

Kaya looked to her left and saw the Guardian Characters had all taken up the broken bench, and Jun was already getting along with them so well.

Kaya sighed, "All right, let's go ahead and get this over with," she pointed at Amu, "Joker, the floor is yours."

Slightly nervous at having an audience, Amu stood up, "Ran, Character Change!"

"Right!"

After Amu had finished, we had a couple dents in the grass from where she had done tumbling, an excellent drawing of some of the plants, and a lovely batch of cookies. Don't ask about the cookies – that part was complicated.

Kaya nodded, "Okay, King's Chair, you're up."

"This isn't going to be pretty," Tadase warned. He stood up and nodded at Amu.

"Prince?" She said tentatively.

"Prince?" Kaya echoed.

"MWAHAHAHA! I am no mere prince! Bow before me! I shall conquest this school, and next, THE WORLD! AHAHAHAHA!"

Kaya pondered this for a moment, and then shrugged, "I like him better like this."

"Okay, that's enough," Nagihiko decided, placing bucket on Tadase's head for three seconds, which for some reason returns him to normal.

"Jack's chair! It's your turn!"

Nagi sighed, "This ought to be interesting… Rhythm!"

Suddenly, someone's phone went off, and upbeat tone that mimicked dance music.

Headphones appeared around Nagi's neck and he held out his hand to Rima, "Rima, dance with me!"

The ringtone ended, "But there isn't any music!"

"Who cares?"

"I'm not dancing!"

Nagi sat next to Rima and put his arm around her shoulders, "C'mon, please?"

"No!"

"Alright!" Nagi lept back up and spun around to face Kukai, "Kukai! You owe me a rematch in arm wrestling!"

"It's on!" Kukai accepted, both of them throwing off their jackets.

"Whoa, whoa, this is _not_ a strip club! Settle down and put your jackets back on I get the point!" Kaya intervened, stepping between the two.

Kaya still standing, turned to face Rima, pointing at her dramatically, "Queen's chair has the spotlight!"

"Kusukusu," Rima said, clearing her throat, "The usual."

"The usual?"

"Bala-Balance!" Rima had already Character Changed and was balance on top of the bench, right next to a now embarrassed Nagihiko.

Kaya actually found Rima to be hilarious, but didn't allow herself to laugh because anxiety was starting to get to her. This was going way too fast; she should have let Nagi and Kukai arm wrestle… or maybe Rima could tell a joke or something?

She sat down next to Kukai and turned her gaze on him, "And last but not least…"

But before Kaya could finish, Kukai was up and had already Character Changed. He was doing some amazing stuff with a soccer ball, and even kicked Nagi's butt in a game of basketball, but…

"You barely changed at all!" Kaya exclaimed as Kukai retook his seat next to her.

"Spot on," He replied with a wink.

She sighed once more, her stomach churning with nervousness.

"Oh, Kaya…"

"Guess who's turn it is?"

Kaya stood up slowly, "You guys cannot tell _anyone_ about this, okay?"

"Okay!" They all agreed.

"Jun… Character Change."


	3. Potentially Awkward

**I'm just an uploading fool, aren't I? Anyways, I recently got another review asking me to continue, so... it's continuing. I still have a lot of buffer, and I'll let you know when I run out. So what is Kaya like when she Character Changes? Well, it probably isn't what you expected...**

**So... just read.**

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><p>Suddenly, Kaya's hair became like Jun's, with fox ears and a tail to match; a grand piano appeared in the middle of the benches and with a flick of her ears and a swish of her tail, and she had taken a perch atop the piano bench. Kaya's finger's bounced across the keys as she began the staccato to what sounded like a very sad tune.<p>

A few measures in she began to sing a very recognizable song:

"_One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do,_

_Two can be as bad as one,_

_It's the loneliest number since the number one, uh,_

_No is the saddest experience, you'll ever know…_

_Yes, it's the saddest experience, you'll ever know…"_

Other instruments seemed to join in out of nowhere, the sound growing in power and her voice resounding as if it were coming from all directions. The songs meaning gripped your heart as she got to the chorus, and you truly felt how powerful the emotion was.

Isolated. Forgotten. Lost. Lonely.

"_It's just no good anymore since you went away…"_

Left behind.

These were the feelings the song was trying to convey, and boy could they feel them. Nearly everyone was crying, except for Kaya. She was in a completely different world. A world where it was safe to sing, a world where it didn't matter if she was loud or opinionated, somewhere she wanted to be.

The song came down with a final piano chord, and Kaya's Character Change timed out, leaving this socially awkward girl to deal with a room full of crying people.

The piano disappeared as Kaya surveyed the damage she had done.

_Great way to make friends, stupid!_ She yelled at herself, _sing a song that makes them fricking _cry!

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Kaya apologized.

"Sorry!"

Kaya looked up at Amu, who was now standing, wiping her tears up, "That was beautiful! Why are you embarrassed by your Character Change?"

"I… I thought you would be mad…"

"Why would we be mad?" Asked Nagihiko, who was recovering pretty quickly.

"I kind of… well, you're all crying! That isn't a good thing!"

Kukai walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, "When you sing a song like that, you want to move people. Everyone here was moved, so…" He gave her a thumbs up, "Success!"

Kaya thought about this for a moment, "In order to be successful, I have to make people cry!"

"That's not really what he meant," Tadase said.

She sighed, "I know what he meant… I just don't really like myself when I Character Change. I'm so loud and I sing too much."

"Are you kidding? If I could sing like that, I'd sing all the time!" Amu said, wiping away the last of her tears.

"Um…"

"Yeah, why haven't you sung before?"

"How did you keep from Character Changing in public?"

"I… I just, uh –,"

"When did you get your Guardian Character?"

"It was, ah…,"

"Kaya?"

"Hey, Kaya, are you okay?"

Kaya's words were getting smaller and smaller, diminishing to a lower volume than before, and she was actually physically shrinking away from the group.

_Too many questions… I can't keep this up…_

"Hey…"

_If somebody says my name one more time, I –_

"… Kaya –,"

"No! You've got what you want! You saw me Character Change! Now leave me alone!" Kaya exploded on them, her voice once again projecting, the absolute volume and conviction in her tone shocking them.

Her head down and her hands balled into fists, Kaya continued, "I'm going to ask you to never come back here. If you enter these woods alone you risk your lives. Leave here before the sun goes down. You should be safe until then. Goodbye."

Kaya stormed out of the room faster than any of them could react. Jun followed after her, and the former Guardians were left in the wake of her cold rejection.

"I wonder what's wrong," Amu lamented.

"I'll talk to her," Kukai announced.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Nagihiko challenged, "She didn't seem to take so kindly to you earlier."

Kukai's shoulders fell, "She transferred here last year and the teacher placed her right in front of me in class. She never attempted to talk to anyone, and because of her harsh exterior no one attempted to talk to her. Everyone was intimidated by her, so they avoided her. I didn't talk to her much either, because I was more focused on other stuff, but then I saw her Guardian egg, and I knew she was using an outer character. So I made a point every day to say hello to her. For a long time, she totally blew me off, but one day… she actually responded responded. And you know what else she did? She smiled. That was the frist time I had ever seen her smile. Truth is, I'm the closest thing to a friend she has, and she could really use a friend."

/?/

"Kaya," Jun tried to get her attention, "They really did mean well."

"Jun, I haven't spoken that much to that many people in years! I couldn't handle it…" Kaya slumped against a tree and let herself sink to the ground, "I just couldn't handle it."

"I think they can help you, though, and your mom…"

"We can't ask for help, Jun, don't you remember what happened last time?"

"Right… but can't you at least tell them what's going on?"

"All five of them! No way!"

"At least tell Kukai."

"Kukai? Why Kukai?"

"Kaya, you've told me since the day I was born that all you wanted was for someone to try. You said you hated it when people you ask what's wrong and as soon and you say 'nothing' they completely forget they asked. You wanted someone persistent; you told me you wanted someone that cared enough about you that they would be willing to intrude, even if it made you angry! You've been waiting for that person, and I think Kukai is the best you're going to get! So tear down those walls and just tell him!"

"Tell me what?"

"Kukai!" Kaya's head popped up to see Kukai leaning against the tree trunk next to her, "How much of that did you hear!"

"Just that I'm the best you're going to get and that you should just tell me."

Kaya let out a sigh a of relief, "Good."

"Why," Kukai sat next to her, "Do I want to hear the rest?"

"Maybe someday…"

They were both silent for a moment. Jun floated up into the branches of the tree, settling toward the one a branch toward the base of the trunk. She motioned for Daichi to follow her.

"This atmosphere is really tense," Daichi commented.

Jun sighed, "I know. Despite how much Kaya may like a person, she really isn't very good with people."

"But you're great with people!"

"Exactly," Jun replied with a wink.

"Oh, I get it, so Kaya wants to be…"

"…good with people, more out-going, cleverer, and a more versatile artist."

Daichi raised an eyebrow, "That sure is a lot."

"Kaya has a lot of potential; she just doesn't know how to use it yet. That's how I was born. One of her teachers told her she had a lot of potential and she decided that she was going to use every bit of potential she had."

"That's cool," Daichi commented.

"You aren't very deep, you know that?"

"Kukai doesn't want to be deep, necessarily, but he can be when he isn't thinking about it."

"Really? What happens when he actually tries?"

"He sounds like an idiot," Daichi said with a laugh.

/?/

"So, Kaya… why did you run away?"

"Too many people, too many questions."

The silence had drawn on for as long as the Guardian Characters had been talking. Now that Kukai was here, he didn't really know what to do. In truth, he had actually heard all of what Jun had said, he just didn't want it to get awkward.

That failed.

Because this was definitely…

_Awkward._

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><p><strong>Oh, Kukai, you mean so well and yet you are so... <em>Awkward.<em>**

**There sure is a lot of monolouging in this chapter. It's mostly boring developmental stuff. Don't you worry, it'll get plenty interesting pretty soon.**


	4. X Creatures

**Quick request to anyone who actually reads this: Please refer this story to all of your other Shugo Chara loving friends. And tell them to review. Reviews make life worth living!**

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><p>"So you really can't stand people?" Kukai asked, finally breaking the silence.<p>

"Oh, so is that gem of info all you gathered?" Kaya's reply was sharp as a steak knife, "Oh, wait, no, that's not what I meant…" She sighed, holding her face in her hands, "I'm sorry, I'm really bad at this kind of thing…"

Kukai smiled at her, "So am I! So whenever you're ready to talk, I'm ready to listen."

Somehow, those words really hit home with Kaya. No had ever said anything like that to her before; most people only listened or cared when it was convinitent for them.

"Really, I'm just introverted and I dislike people as a whole, but there are specific people that I really do like and I want to get to know them, but… I'm so scary that whenever I try…"

"…they just freak out." Kukai finished.

"Yeah. They have trouble processing the gigantic gap between the way I behave around them and the way I really am."

Kukai laughed for a moment, disheartening Kaya.

"Hey, don't laugh! It isn't funny! This is taking a lot of effort!" She protested, pouting a little.

Kukai smirked at her, "I just think it's funny how lofty and unreachable you seem when you're actually so different from that... You're positively cute!"

Kaya, uncomfortable with this new adjective, immediately countered, "What exactly is so cute about me?"

"Your whole personality! A lot of people act like they're great when they're actually terrible and here you are doing the exact opposite! It's adorable!" Kukai stated, laughing pretty hard now.

"Adorable? I am _not_ adorable!" Kaya turned herself to face him, her knees on the ground and hands on top of them, balled into fists, "I'm cold and harsh!" She mentally slapped herself, because saying it outright like that probably didn't do much to help her case. Despite that, she kept a steady expression.

"Like steel?"

"Like steel."

Kukai's smirk widened as he leaned in so his face was just an inch from hers, "I wonder… Might I just be hot enough to melt that steel?"

For a split second, Kaya's face was hot enough she thought it could melt steel, "A-as if!" She denied, trying to back up but she just ended up falling on her butt, "Ow…"

Kukai shifted so he was sitting next to her, leaning over her slightly, "You okay?"

She sighed, sitting up, "Yeah, I'm good."

Kukai paused for a moment, and then he realized something: "Hey! Weren't you going to show us why we shouldn't go into the woods?"

She gasped, "Oh crap!" She turned her head to the West and saw black clouds about to cover up the sun.

"Oh, crap, crap, crapity, _craaap!_" She cursed, jumping up, "C'mon, we have to get the others out of here!"

"Why? What is it?" Kukai questioned, standing up but not moving from beneath the tree. Daichi and Jun, at the sound of all the commotion Kaya was making, decsended from the tree and looked at her quizically.

"There's no time to explain, just come with me!" Acting on impulse, Kaya grabbed Kukai's hand and lead him back to the green house, the Guardian Character's flying after them.

They burst through the doors of the green house, taking the other four by surprise.

"Kaya, Kukai! Are you alright?" Tadase immediately asked, observing how flustered and rushed they seemed.

"We're fine. You need to get out of the woods, now!" Kaya commanded.

"Why should we? The sun isn't supposed to go down for a while," Rima countered, her voice convicting even if quiet.

"Yeah, well a thunderstorm will do the trick as well. There isn't much time, and there isn't a safe place to be found in these woods. You have to get out!" Kaya pressed.

"What exactly are we running from?" Nagihiko asked, rising from his seat next to Rima.

"I call them X creatures," she began hastily, knowing there was no time to argue, "When an X egg shatters, sometimes it's remains effect a nearby animal, turning evil and rabid. They can't be purified and once they choose a target they cannot be stopped. They only come out when it's nighttime or cloudy, but some of the stronger ones will risk coming out at dusk. That's why you have to leave." Kaya explained

"Can they be found anywhere else? Why would they only be here?" Nagi challenged.

"That, I do not know," She responded tiredly, "They always end up here… They definitely aren't common, but they don't die, so they'll start accumulating eventually."

"We have to stop them from being created, then!" Amu decided.

"How? Do you plan on purifying every X egg that is ever created every time it becomes an X egg? Well, that plan sucks, because it's completely impossible. Anyways, we can't discuss this now, we need to leave before –," Kaya was cut off by a blood chilling howl.

"What was that?" Rima asked, her voice breaking at the end as another howl sounded.

Kaya cursed, "It's too late. Quick question, can any of you Character Transform?"

"All of us can Character Transform!"

Kaya blinked in surprise, "Well that was more than I could have hoped for. How many of you can fly once you transform?"

Amu, Nagihiko and Kukai raised their hands.

"Dang. Alright, go ahead and Character Transform. You won't stand a chance if you don't," Kaya moved across the room to the door, opening a small crack and peaking outside.

"What is it?" Kukai asked after she immediately slammed the door.

"Uh… the wolf is right outside, so you guys are going through the roof – oh, good, you've all Character Transformed," Kaya reported, taking a moment to observe their new outfits, her heart jumping a bit when she saw Kukai.

_That… that isn't even fair! How can people expect me to behave when he's so… oh, screw it. _ She shook her head, "Jun! My Heart: Unlock!"

Wait, Kaya can Character Transform, too? Oh, right…

To everyone's shock, they watched Kaya transform; her hair changing color to match Jun's, and pulling back into a ponytail held by a black ribbon, and the fox ears and tail from her character change were present along with a black sleeveless dress with a frilled mini skirt and over-the-knee black boots. Two black ribbons appear at her wrists and wrapped themselves around her arms, tying into a bow once they reached the base of her shoulder.

Once she was finished, she announced her name: "Melodic Gem!"

Kukai blinked, "Did _anyone _else see that coming?"

I'm sure all you lovely readers did, but just humor him, kay?

The former Guardians all just shook their heads, staring at Kaya in her new form.

"Anyway," Kaya began, uncomfortable with all the attention, "We have to fly through that hole in the roof, over the trees and out of the forest. They can't leave the trees, and you'll be safe there. Alright, pair up and follow me!"

Kaya lept into the air and flew onto the roof. Nagi swept Rima up and carried her out bridal style, despite her protests, and Amu lifted Tadase up after. Kukai stayed behind, though, his attention on the glass door.

"Kukai, hurry up! What are you waiting for!" Kaya yelled down at him.

"I want to see it," Kukai responded, focused on the door, "I'll catch up."

"No, Kukai, don't be stupid! It's just a black wolf with an X on its forehead; now get your sorry butt up here!" Kaya was more worried than angry, but the longer he stayed there the more danger he was in.

Kukai frowned, "Fine," He was taking his time to mount his board and follow them, when the door was busted down, a gigantic wolf like Kaya had described standing on its shattered remains.

Kukai's eyes widened, "Coming!" He quickly jumped on his board and was hovering above them in seconds flat.

As they flew back to safe ground, Kukai steered himself next to Kaya and tried to catch her eye, but she just stared straight ahead.

/?/

Once they landed a few yards from the trees, their Character Transformations timed out and they landed on the now shadowy school grounds, the sun now completely invisible and lightening flashing in the distance.

Kukai turned to Kaya, "Oi, Kaya –,"

"What the hell was that?" She snapped, the rest falling silent.

"What do you mean?" He responded, surprised by her outburst.

"If you had stayed down there one second longer - one second is all it would take - you could have been killed! You could have gotten everyone killed! What were you thinking?" She continued, her voice becoming more and more overpowering.

"I was _thinking_ that maybe I could actually try to stand up to it! You would be surprised what we can handle," Kukai retorted, starting to become irritated that she was scolding him, as if he didn't know what he was getting into.

"You have absolutely no idea what you're getting into," She replied, nearly reading his mind. Her voice wasn't as loud but it did not lose it's omniscent tone, "I've seen those creatures kill someone; it is a death I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, let alone anyone here!"

Kukai didn't really have a rebudle to that – the truth was he did something really stupid and really dangerous, he even regreted it. But he was already so deep into the argument that turning back now would just make him feel like an even bigger idiot.

So instead of apologizing like he knew he should have, he decided to insult her, "Well at least I was willing to try! You aren't willing to try anything; you just lock yourself up in that little shell and freak out when people try to talk to you!"

"I do not freak out! I don't make a big deal out of it if they don't!"

He scoffed harshly, "As if! I've been trying to get you to talk to me for a year now and this is the first day you've really responded!"

"Hmph," Kaya turned on her heel and started toward the gate, doing her best to not cry. _He's right. Oh, God, he's right! I'm such a freak! I was just concered, but of course I can't do _anything _right so instead I just yell at him. Way to go, Kaya, you useless piece of crap._

* * *

><p><strong>Jeez, Kaya sure is hateful. To herself, that is. What a sad chapter... and what a stupid Kukai! <strong>

**Well, you kids know the drill. Tell me what you think! I actually want to know! No, really!**


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